The National Association of Minority and Women-Owned Law Firms (NAMWOLF) named Accenture winner of its annual Diversity Initiative Achievement Award. This is the second win in three years for the global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.

The Diversity Initiative Achievement Award is presented to one of NAMWOLF's corporate partners that works to spend a minimum of 5 percent of its outside counsel budgets on women- and minority-owned law firms. Accenture has participated in the program for three years. In 2005 it was the first recipient of the NAMWOLF award.

“Not only has Accenture done an outstanding job in hiring and forming long-lasting relationships with law firms owned and run by women and minorities, but the company has also been a powerful vocal advocate for our cause and those of other organizations, championing a more diverse corporate America throughout the years,” said Yolanda Coly, managing director of NAMWOLF, in a statement.

Milwaukee-headquartered NAMWOLF was founded in June 2001. The trade association advocates for increased use of minority- and women-owned law firms by major U.S. corporations and public entities.

A recent study by NAMWOLF found that of the $10 million spent on outside counsel by New York State entities, none went to minority- or women-owned firms.

“If such a gross disparity exists in a historically diverse state like New York, this leaves little hope that spending in corporate America nationwide is any better,” NAMWOLF said in a statement.